LIFE WITH MG

5 MG-Friendly Smoothies

JULY 2020 | 4 MIN READ

You don’t have to have MG to love these delicious, nutritious recipes.

Smoothies are great in the summer for beating the heat—or anytime for quick, easy nourishment. In summer, keeping cool is especially important, as heat can increase feelings of weakness in people living with MG.1-3 A nice, cold, easy-to-swallow drink could help. And taking a break from cooking never hurts, in the summertime or anytime.

We asked nutritionist Megan Stanley, MS, RD, to develop smoothie recipes for people living with MG. These smoothies aren’t just easy to make, but easy to drink as well. They provide quick nutrition for tired bodies while bringing anti-inflammatory foods into your diet. They all take very little prep work, can be prepared in a dishwasher-safe blender or smoothie maker and are easy to swallow if thoroughly blended. Some ingredients can be purchased pre-chopped and frozen for long-term storage.

Almond Butter & Jelly (AB&J) Almond Butter & Jelly (AB&J)

COOK TIME: 5 MIN
PREP TIME: 2 MIN
PRINT RECIPE

Ingredients

  • ½ cup frozen strawberries
  • 2 tablespoons almond butter
  • 1 medium banana
  • ½ cup milk of choice
  • 1 cup ice (less, if using frozen bananas)

Almond Butter & Jelly (AB&J)

Directions

  1. Place all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. If smoothies are too thick to blend, add more liquid until desired texture is reached.

The AB&J froths over with antioxidant-rich berries and healthy fats, both of which help reduce inflammation, while serving up a big taste of childhood nostalgia.4,5

Pro tip: Freezing bananas for smoothies helps make the consistency creamier.

Yield: 1 large serving or 2 small servings

Green Smoothie Green Smoothie

COOK TIME: 5 MIN
PREP TIME: 2 MIN
PRINT RECIPE

Ingredients

  • ½ cup spinach (fresh or frozen)
  • ½ medium avocado (can do fresh or frozen avocado halves when ripe)
  • 1 medium banana
  • ½ cup milk of choice
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons honey for sweetness, if needed
  • Ice, if needed

Green Smoothie

Directions

  1. Place all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. If smoothies are too thick to blend, add more liquid until desired texture is reached.

The Green Smoothie is packed with inflammation-fighting ingredients while adding some sweetness and greens to your snack.6

Pro tip: Freezing bananas for smoothies helps make the consistency creamier.

Yield: 1 large serving or 2 small servings

Tropical Turmeric Smoothie Tropical Turmeric Smoothie

COOK TIME: 5 MIN
PREP TIME: 2 MIN
PRINT RECIPE

Ingredients

  • ½ cup frozen mango
  • ½ cup frozen pineapple
  • 1 medium banana
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric
  • ½ cup milk of choice

Tropical Turmeric Smoothie

Directions

  1. Place all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. If smoothies are too thick to blend, add more liquid until desired texture is reached.

Turmeric is known to help fight inflammation.7 Throw in some tropical ingredients and you have a tasty treat.

Pro tip: Freezing bananas for smoothies helps make the consistency creamier.

Yield: 1 large serving or 2 small servings

Chocolate Avocado Popsicle Smoothie Chocolate Avocado Popsicle Smoothie

COOK TIME: 5 MIN
PREP TIME: 2 MIN
PRINT RECIPE

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon dark cocoa powder
  • ½ avocado (can do fresh or frozen avocado halves when ripe)
  • 1 cup milk of choice
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1 cup ice

Chocolate Avocado Popsicle Smoothie

Directions

  1. Place all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. If smoothies are too thick to blend, add more liquid until desired texture is reached.

This smoothie drinks like an indulgent treat because it’s made with antioxidant-rich cocoa and tastes like fudge.8

Yield: 1 large serving or 2 small servings

Cherry Sweet-Tart Smoothie Cherry Sweet-Tart Smoothie

COOK TIME: 5 MIN
PREP TIME: 2 MIN
PRINT RECIPE

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces tart cherry juice
  • 1 cup frozen mixed berries
  • 6 ounces yogurt of choice
  • Ice, if needed

Cherry Sweet-Tart Smoothie

Directions

  1. Place all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. If smoothies are too thick to blend, add more liquid until desired texture is reached.

Tart cherries are often used to help decrease inflammation, due to their high-antioxidant capacity.9 They can also taste, well…tart. But when you mix them with sweet berries, they become a refreshing sweet treat.

Yield: 1 large serving or 2 small servings

References

  1. Rutkove SB, et al. Muscle Nerve. 1998;21:1414-1418.
  2. Rutkove SB. Muscle Nerve. 2001;24:867-882.
  3. Borenstein S, et al. Lancet. 1974;2(7872):63-66.
  4. Joseph SV, et al. J Agric Food Chem. 2014;62(18):3886-3903.
  5. Barreca D, et al. Nutrients. 2020;12(3):672.
  6. Lu Q, et al. J Agric Food Chem. 2009;57(21):10408-10413.
  7. Gupta SC, et al. Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol. 2012;39(3):283-299.
  8. Becker K, et al. Front Pharmacol. 2013;4:154.
  9. Ferretti G, et al. Molecules. 2010;15(10):6993-7005.

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